HPCL: Sound & warning system for blind corners

HP Lubricants and Leo Burnett India have come together to introduce an innovative warning system for India's national highways that is aimed at minimising chances of an accident due to blind corners. The project has been called Roads that Honk.

Leo Burnett India has conceptualised and developed a technology that uses SmartLife poles that can be planted on each side of major hairpin bends. These poles are connected to each other through advanced networking devices that employ wireless communication techniques. Each pole is further equipped with a Radar and an anti-collision warning system. All these devices run on electricity that is generated through solar photovoltaic cell modules.

The Radar system in the poles is capable of reading and analysing data to detect the speed of vehicles that are approaching the hairpin bends. If vehicles are approaching at high speeds on both ends, the poles make a honking sound to alert the drivers to slow down and cross the bend safely.

The system has currently been launched and is operational on NH1, along the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The companies claim that post the installation of the collision avoidance system, number of accidental cases have reduced significantly. HP Lubricants and Leo Burnett plan to study the response of the installed system and eventually spread it across the country to further minimize the cases of fatal accidents.